Poetry Contest Voting to Commence :)

Mon Mar 10 11:14:35 PDT 2008

Greetings All,

Behold!  The muses have spoken!  It is time to vote on the poetry
submissions for our most recent 2008 Poetry Contest to determine who will
hold the title of Poet Laureate for the next six months or so.  You each
have 5 virtual sticky-dots to spend.  You may place all dots on one poem, or
some on each; you may vote for yourself or for another -- however you would
like to spend them to mark your sense of which poems speak to you. 

Please send an email to me off-list: HYPERLINK
"mailto:karen at luminacoaching.com"karen at luminacoaching.com by Friday, March
14th, to tell me how you have placed your virtual dots for each numbered
poem.  I will collect your messages this week, score over the weekend, and
announce next week who we’ve chosen to be our next Poet Laureate (the author
of the poem that received the most dots:-)).

For those of you who may be new on the list, the OSLIST has a Poet Laureate
who is awarded the title through a poetry contest held every six months or
so (initiated by the current Poet Laureate—and usually graciously assisted
by our Lisa Heft).  The Poet Laureate holds space for poetry on the list by
inviting, noticing, inspiring, offering poetry and hosting the next poetry
contest… 

Just a reminder, this contest’s topic was: The personal, inner experience of
Open Space—the open space within the unbounded expanse of heart and mind…

And now, without further ado, the eight poems for your enjoyment and voting…

#1  

ODE TO MY BREATH

HOURS SLIP BY

DAYS RUN OFF

YEARS PILE UP

GOOD TIMES

SAD TIMES

MEMORABLE MOMENTS

GLIMPSES OF BLISS

ALL COME AND GO

IN THEIR OWN RHYTHM

 WHAT WILL BE NEXT?

YES, I KNOW  WHAT'S NEXT

WITH UNFAILING SURETY

IT IS MY BREATH

HERE IT COMES

IN,HOLD, THEN OUT

LET GO

MAKE IT DEEP

EMBRACE OT FULLY

THEN LET IT FLY

SOON THE CYCLE BEGINS AGAIN

NEVER CEASING, ON AND ON

UNTILL THE END OF MY TIME IN THIS SWIRLING UNIVERSE

#2

the duck floats by

nonchalantly

oblivious to breaking the ripples in the water quack!

#3

NO POEM

NO POEM TODAY

NOT MUCH TO SAY

THOUGHTS COME AND GO

IMAGES DRIFT FAST AND SLOW

SADNESS CREEPS IN

WORRIES LOOP AND SPIN

TRY TO GET BACK TO HERE AND NOW

LET THIS MOMENT SHOW ME HOW

WASH AWAY FEARS AND PAIN

CONFIDENCE COME UP AGAIN

NOW I SEE A BUTTERFLY

SPREADING WINGS, CIRCLING HIGH

COURAGE SPREADS THROUGH ME LIKE LIGHT

COME STAY WITH ME ALL DAY AND NIGHT

#4

When my father died I grieved all year. 

But Michael Stipe was right that sweetness follows.

When it's over,

A cloud of feeling lingers, calls up memories, shows me the world with eyes
more raw, more open to this stark, leafless maple growing in the sidewalk.

And shows me to the work that's next to do.

When it's over,

We might start that lovely, awkward dance of hugs, and wait our turn to hug
Ralph, and Chris, Karen, Joelle, and Lisa, everyone who won and wrote and
read, and lay a wreath for Laurel on the earth.

When it's over,

we might stand in Harrison's circle with hands joined and faces outward,
hearts burst open to the horizon and the mystery of walking toward it, alone
and together, finding spaces snapping open like poppies.

#5

Can we live in a larger world

Than ever we have before?

The world that we can think about

Is puny by comparison

To what can happen if we let it

Thinking opens doors to only ordinary things

Bumping's the trick of the nothing in between 

Where living lives & giving gives

& Everything in nothing is

What grows a larger living world

#6

Open space is not empty

Instead fertile fecund bumpy

Inviting

We go to it not empty but overflowing

Seeking to give without control

Willing to receive without expecting

Expecting limits us & we are without limits

To live in open space is to

Invite

        —help

        —engagement

        —meeting

Be invited

        —to help

        —to leave

Be inviting

Help before you're invited

Let invitations come and go

& not count the difference

Live it before you know it

Live it to know it

Open space gently takes your hand

Splash some on your face and body

Listen—give voice—listen—live

#7

I am a dreamer

My dreams start a journey

A road sparked by Spirit

Spirit is the fuel that propels me

Without it there is no forward motion

No hope of betterment

Space is the place dreams are born

It is not sleep that produces them

It is the open and clear field of possibility

When I am in Open Space

Spirit is always present

Here the dream begins and so does my travel I travel in good company 

Keep your Spirit

I am dreaming with you

#8

                                                breathing

                        connecting                        opening

            breathing
breathing

         witnessing
inviting

         breathing
breathing

          letting go
co-creating

                breathing                                          breathing

                            naming                          emerging

                                                breathing

_________________________ 

Happy voting:-),

k

Karen Sella 

Coaching:  HYPERLINK "http://www.luminacoaching.com"www.luminacoaching.com

Consulting:  HYPERLINK
"http://www.integralventures.com"www.integralventures.com

Blog: HYPERLINK "http://www.lumina.typepad.com"www.lumina.typepad.com

Phone: 1.206.780.2998

Skype: karensella

lumina fr. L. light, air, opening... 

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